When brick and mortar casino games went online, players around the world thought, “That’s it! It doesn’t get better than this!”. It was truly amazing.
All popular casino games became accessible online. Players could engage in their favorite games with a click of a button or a simple screen tap. But, technology and innovators were not done with making online gambling experiences better.
The social gaming component got introduced to online casino games, and it was a perfect match. It turns out social gaming keeps changing traditional games for the better. Keep reading to discover what social gaming is and the impact it has on online casino games and gaming experiences overall.
What is social gaming?
The definition of social gaming is pretty much straightforward - social gaming is playing games with your online friends. In the word of online casinos, social gaming is playing traditional casino games with your friends. “What sets it apart from other gambling activities?” you may wonder.
In social casino gaming, you don’t bet real money when you play. If you win, you don’t win any cash, nor lose cash. This applies to all social gamers. When you don’t have anything to lose or gain, the gaming experience becomes fun, engaging, and relaxing. The social component adds a new thrill component allowing you to compete against your friends.
Examples of changes provoked by this new approach:
1. Board games
Social gaming has successfully transformed games from various categories. Board games are not an exception. Take Board Kings, for instance. It allows you to play with your online friends and compete in an environment where you have nothing else to lose but a game.
To highlight the social component, the developers allowed players to visit other players’ boards, win prizes, and invite other people to play. Tons of freebies and daily rewards keep the players coming back to get that one item that can give them a competitive advantage to win the end game.
2. Casino games
Classic casino games were not immune to the social gaming craze. Social gaming has sneaked into the world of online casinos to offer players new experiences and the thrill they’ve never encountered before. A great example of this is Poker Heat.
Poker has a strong social component. However, it was tough to replicate it in the online world. Poker Heat managed to do so by introducing several features. The basic concept of the game is Texas Hold’em. Additionally, there are several poker leagues players can compete in and make their way to the top to win attractive rewards.
Players can compete against their friends or choose to step up their game and compete against other players from all over the world.
3. Other
There are plenty of other examples where social gaming played a vital role in making casino games even more popular. We can’t go on about talking about social gaming without mentioning online slots, or should we say online social slots. There are plenty of takes on the classic slot games as well as brand new ones featuring the social component.
Playing online social slots puts you in the position to climb the leaderboard, compete against your friends, and exchange rare items with friends to unlock hidden levels and win rewards. Social gaming also keeps changing roulette, blackjack, and plenty of other classic casino games into thrilling encounters friends can engage with.
Statistics related to social gaming
Now let’s comb through some social gaming statistics to help paint the picture of its expansion and impact on online gaming overall. Online social gaming is slowly taking over, as seen on this site. App-based social gaming continues to generate more and more revenue year after year.
In 2017, the social online games market in the US was worth $2.15 billion. The forecasts tell us that this figure will go beyond $2.4 billion in 2020.
Social gaming is also becoming a preferred type of entertainment for many people. There are over 750 million people worldwide playing social games on various platforms, including online casino websites, mobile apps, and social media platforms.
Conclusion
Social gaming has reshaped gaming as we know it. It allowed people to connect and compete online by playing their favorite board games, poker, online slots, blackjack, and many other games. Since it resonates so well with players, it is safe to assume that social gaming will keep changing classic games for the better in the years to come.
